With that said I realize how the media would have gone into a frenzy had we shot down that plane only to realize it was not some terrorist plot but two clueless dumbos fiddling with their lives (flying in a no-fly zone without having the ability to know exactly where you are should be classified in the same category as Russian Roulette and Kissing Cobras ....suicidal). Anyways, had the plane been splashed i can assure you that the media would have been talking about it for the next 5 months. It would have eclipsed their silly rants over Abu Ghraib.
All the same by not immediately splashing it we sent a clear message to Jihadis. Guess either way the result would not have been perfect (which is why i think some sort of action should be taken against those pilots ....at the very least their pilot licenses should be affected in some detrimental way. Their stupidity could have been far worse and even cost lives ....i.e if they were shot down there is a chance the debris could have damaged property or hurt people based on where they were when they finally turned).
"The funny thing about the whole incident is the message it gave to Jihadi scum. Basically that they can get quite close before lethal action is implemented."
Good point. We need to get tougher. Some idiot comes within a certain number of miles, shoot the guy down and ask questions later. That's what we all expected anyway.
I think the reason this A/C was not shot down was the collateral damage issue. With buildings evacuated, and thousands of innocents now out in the streets, a "blowed-up" cessna would kill more than a couple of stupid pilots (and, I'm a pilot.. so I feel fine calling them on this), as it likely WOULD kill totally innocent bystanders on the ground. Thus, the powers that be needed just one more thread of terrorist intent to pull the trigger. A meandering C150 did not fit the bill...
Here is the nightmare scenario I came up with: small plane able to carry 600lbs of payload, trainer type with large wing area that makes it easier to fly, like maybe a Cessna 170. Ceiling is 14,000 feet.
Plane is loaded with jihadi + 400lbs of explosives. When target is within range of the glide path (C170 could glide 10 miles or more at 14000 feet), plane is oriented toward target, engine shut off, altimeter turned off (if it was even on).
Pilot rides the plane down; on first seeing intercept aircraft, radios in that his engine is not working/makes other excuse, in order to delay being fired upon. Then does other things while getting closer to the target... and eventually hits it while ground control dithers over giving him more time to fix the engine.
AT each major airport there are fuel tanks that contain a million gallons or more of fuel. A hit on one of those would be bad.